


Shadow, the Fleet-Footed

by QuietReverie



Category: The Order (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-02-26 01:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18713938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietReverie/pseuds/QuietReverie
Summary: She can't help but fall for the blue-eyed, Hamish Duke. Some say he's an alcoholic, some say he's old-fashioned. To her, he's the light at the end of the tunnel. He's the star in her endless skies. He's what makes her heart beat. He's the unobtainable. She'd lay her life down for him and one day, she hopes he'll feel the same. Starts a month before the show. [Hamish x OC]





	1. Werewolves and Team Building

**Author's Note:**

> I found that there are a lot more "The Order" works here than other websites that are a treat to read, so I thought that I would post my story on Archive along with FF.net. Hope you enjoy!

“Randall, you’re one of my favorite people, but right now, you are driving me crazy.” Layton Dunn threw her face into Randall’s pillow before slowly turning to look at him. He was currently at his desk, a smirk carelessly sitting on his lips, as he rhythmically bounced a tennis ball off the door. She could feel her patience slip with every _thud_. The summer heat wasn’t helping either and Randall was never a fan of the AC. He preferred to keep his room, as he would like to call it, “tropical,” and Layton absolutely hated it. She has and always will be a winter-loving spirit and the fact that her skin was starting to perspire was aggravating her to no end. How could another human stand being cooked from the outside in? “Randall,” she seethed as he threw the ball again. Her normally mellow temperament out-matched by Randall’s actions. “Don’t make me come over there.” Her eyes narrowed as she tried to bore a hole through the side of his face with her chocolate hues. She dug her fingers into the previously assaulted pillow before sitting up. Randall caught the returning ball before shooting her an amused look. They stared at each other for a moment before Layton launched herself at him. He quickly got up, chair flying to the side, and shimmied out of her reaching grasp.

“Hey, hey! You can’t attack your RA!” he laughed as he bounced to the other side of the room. She caught herself on the desk before turning to give him a half-hearted glare. He wiggled the tennis ball teasingly.

“You’re not my RA, you’re a pain in my ass!” she shouted before lunging at him again. Randall danced out of her way again to jump onto his bed. He let out a hearty chuckle before leaning forward to taunt her with the object of her frustration. Layton blew a stray piece of hair out of her face before analyzing his movements. He shifted from foot to foot as he waved the ball in front of her.

“Let’s play fetch!”

“Oh, that’s golden coming from you,” she waited a moment before diving onto the bed. She managed to grab the end of his pant leg and he toppled to the floor. The tennis ball bounced lightly towards the door before rolling to a stop at someone’s feet. A soft clearing of the throat caught both their attentions and they looked up like deer caught in headlights. A dark-haired student stared back at them with thin raised eyebrows. Caught up in the commotion, both hadn’t noticed the door open. Randall currently had half his body on the floor. Layton was sprawled on the bed, stomach first, with his feet in her hands.

“What the hell?” the student managed to sputter out.

“Oh, hey, Lilith!” Randall propped himself up. He quickly wiggled his sock-clad feet out of the brunette’s grasp. She merely crossed her arms as she took in the sight. It was like she was dealing with children sometimes. Her eyes scanned the askew desk chair, the tennis ball at her feet, and the two college students attempting to act nonchalant.

“What’s up?” Layton ran a hand threw her hair to try and detangle the mess. Her and Lilith were more acquaintances than friends. Layton has tried multiple times, but she just can’t get Lilith to warm up to her. Sure, they had different personalities, but the former has always prided herself in her ability to connect with people and form strong friendships. Unfortunately for her, Lilith has been an unwavering road-block since day one and Layton has yet to figure out how to deal with that. No amount of pushing and prodding has worked, and the college senior decided that she would take a new approach. Letting Lilith come to terms with their almost non-existent, but budding relationship, at her own pace.

“You two are needed at the house,” she gave them another once over in silence before swiftly leaving. Layton let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. It wasn’t that Lilith hated her, she was sure, it was just so darn uncomfortable sometimes. She didn’t know what went on in that head of hers and she was definitely not willing to share.

“Well, that went well,” Randall gave the brunette an excited smile. He pushed himself off the floor and dusted his hoodie off.

“Yeah,” she thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. She hopped off the bed and stretched her arms before heading towards the door. “Shall we?” she tilted her head after kicking the tennis ball back into his room. He gave a nod before following her out. “I wonder what it’ll be about.” She bit her lip as she shoved the dorm’s main doors open. The light and the heat immediately hit her, and she quickly shielded her eyes. “God, it’s hot. I don’t know how you’re wearing that,” she motioned towards his double-layers before heading down the steps.

“I like how it looks on me. There’s no beauty without pain,” he shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked down the sidewalk together. Layton gave a light hum as she scanned the school grounds now that her eyes have readjusted. There were only a few people walking around, most being faculty. It was a couple weeks before school would officially start. Randall was here early to attend the Residential Advisor training while Layton was here to finish up the last bit of her summer internship with the college’s science department. It was pretty much smooth sailing from now on. She just had to draw up her final conclusions for her lab reports and research paper. As for Lilith, who knows? She was definitely not going to tell the brunette of her daily whereabouts.

When they finally reached the house, Randall held the door open for her. She quickly ducked inside to be greeted with a warm feeling. She was never entirely sure if it was because this felt like her true home or if she wished it was. Layton has always held a high appreciation of the beautiful nature tones in the wallpaper and the dark ebony of the wooden trims. All of it came together under the golden cast of the antique wall lamps. She breathed in the subtle scent of sandalwood and vanilla before turning to watch as Randall shut and locked the door.

“In here,” a voice called from the other room. The two quickly made their way towards the living room where a tall man with dirty blonde hair stood behind a small bar. His hair was parted on his right and neatly combed. His outfit consisted of a gray button up, black tie, and a vest and to say that this man was good-looking would’ve been an understatement. Layton gave him a smile, willing her heartbeat to remain steady, as she entered the room and took a seat on the couch. Randall followed suit, throwing his legs onto her lap. Lilith had positioned herself on the edge of her arm chair, her eyes flickering from party to party. The man continued pouring out drinks after giving them all a nod. There was a moment of silence before he spoke. “How has everyone’s day been so far?”

“Really?” Lilith raised a brow. “That’s what you brought us all here for?” Randall coughed to hide his light chuckle, but Lilith turned to glare at him regardless.

“I’m not allowed to check on you guys?” he asked with an amused smile.

“You do realize we have phones, right?” she paused for a moment as he continued to stare at her. “You do know what a phone is? You can’t be that ancient.” She huffed when he looked down to grab some of the prepared drinks. He brought a couple over before doubling back and bringing the rest. He had set a gin and tonic in front of her with a delicate slice of lime.

“Thanks, Hamish,” Layton offered a smile before she took a small sip of the cocktail. He responded with a quick nod before standing in front of all of them. His hands settled on his hips before he spoke. Layton let out a small breath as she tried not to focus on his stunning blue eyes. She knew she shouldn’t be having these thoughts. It was completely inappropriate, especially considering that he was still hung up over Cassie. She couldn’t share the same extent of pain he felt but she understood him. Cassie was like an older sister to her, always watching out for her with the best of intentions. They had girl-nights out and shared many fond memories together. It was hard for her when she passed. Layton can only imagine the pain that Hamish felt that night. Unfortunately, her heart was dead-set and despite her best efforts, she just couldn’t get him out of her mind. She had always thought he was handsome, even when he was with Cassie, but their relationship had always stopped her interest in progressing. Now that she’s gone, as tough as it is to admit, her feelings can’t help but evolve for him. But she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t fathom the thought of ever tarnishing their ex-leader’s spirit. Oh, the shame and guilt she felt every day for even looking at Hamish in that way. Cassie would turn in her grave if she ever made a move on him, she just knew it.

“I was wondering what you guys were planning to do before the semester starts.” His eyes fell on Layton, curious as to why she suddenly seemed deflated, before looking at Randall expectantly.

“Well, nothing really. Sleep and eat,” Randall thought out-loud. “Probably hit the gym.” He flashes Hamish his signature not-a-care-in-the-world smile.

“This is a waste of time,” Lilith groaned, throwing her body back into the arm chair.

“Why do you ask?” Layton prodded the eldest, finally coming out of her sudden stupor. She set her drink down on the table and folded her hands over Randall’s feet. “Did you have plans for us?” Hamish’s eyes flickered over to her for a moment too long before answering. Layton’s brow furrowed when his eyes quickly adverted towards Randall.

“I was hoping that we could do something that would bring us closer together as Knights. Team building, if you will,” he explained with his hands.

“Team building?” Lilith scoffed, her interest in the conversation diminishing by the second. “Count me out.”

“Wait, no, this is great,” Randall shot up, throwing his legs up into the air. Layton quickly pushed herself against the back of the couch to avoid his flailing limbs. “What about a Knights’ Road Trip, eh, eh?” he looked around the room with pure excitement. “Come on, guys,” he smiled brightly. “I know Layton would be up for it,” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. “Right?”

“I mean, sure, sounds like fun,” she nodded, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. He let go of her before standing up.

“It could be short, just a couple days.” Randall began pacing in front of the couch. Layton watched as Lilith rolled her eyes and Hamish put a hand to his chin in thought. “We could go down to the lake,” he snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up even brighter as he began chasing the idea. “Barbeque? Drinks? A couple nights under the stars?” he offered. “Tents! We could get some nice tents!”

“You’re actually really excited about this,” Layton chuckled. Her curly haired friend turned to look at her.

“Of course, what’s not to like? We could go right after my training is finished. That should give us a couple days to get ready,” he turned to fall back onto the couch. “We’ll get snacks, get a music playlist ready, and everything. So, what do you guys think?”

“I’m not against it,” Hamish started, nodding his head. “The magic hasn’t been frequent since college hasn’t started up yet.”

“Well, I’m still out. You boy and girl scouts can do whatever,” Lilith stood up, completely over the conversation.

“Hey, come on,” Randall begged as she turned to leave. “It’d be fun. A great bonding experience. You’re our newest Knight, don’t you want to get to know us better?”

“I’ll watch the house,” she ignored him and quickly left the den, nearly slamming the door on her way out. It was followed by a couple beats of silence.

“Any hope we can turn her around?” Randall sighed. The remainder of us looked at him as if he were crazy. “Right.”


	2. Muddy Buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grocery store time with Hamish. Oh god.

“Okay, nuts or chips? I’m even up for candy options,” Layton tugged a couple strands of hair behind her right ear as she bent down to look of the trail mix options. She pulled a bag from the shelf to analyze the colorful packaging.

“Muddy…buddies?” Hamish stared at the coated chex squares in confusion.

“It’s a sweet snack,” Layton chuckled as she puts it back on the shelf. Hamish and Layton had been perusing the store for quite some time, collecting all their necessities. Randall had handed them a list earlier of all the things he would like as well as what they’d all collectively need. It was relatively lengthy, and they had been slowly chipping away at it.

“Ah,” he nodded before letting his eyes wander elsewhere on the shelf. Layton caught herself staring at his distracted state with a small smile before scolding herself. She quickly pulled off a can of peanuts and dropped it into her shopping cart. Focus, Layton.

“We’ll take one of these. Easy to eat, not too messy,” she explained. “If I remember correctly, Randall also said he wanted some gummy worms.” She pulled out her phone to check her list of items. “And he wanted Cheetos.” She looked around for a second before spotting the orange bag. “Ah, here we go.” She plucked the family-sized pack off and chucked it in the cart before heading down the aisle. Hamish followed behind her as she turned into the sweets section. “Chocolate?”

“No, I am certain it will melt before we even get into the car,” Hamish shook his head before reaching over to dump a bag of worms into the cart. “I don’t want indiscernible brown stains.”

“You’re right,” she nodded. “That should be it. We’ve got the barbecue stuff, snacks, neck pillows…” she fell silent as she checked off each item in her mind.

“Tents?”

“Oh yeah! That’s probably the most important of them all, huh?” Layton started pushing the cart but was stopped when a hand grasped the handle.

“Here, let me,” he smiled softly and pushed ahead. Layton stared at his retreating back, feeling her heart rate quicken for a second. He smelled just like the house, which should’ve been obvious since he lived there. In reality, the house probably smelled like him, not the other way around. Sandalwood and vanilla. Her senses tingled and the scent quickly dissipated. She gulped, shaking the thoughts of her head, before trailing after him. “You have been awfully quiet as of late.” She didn’t respond until she caught him staring at her from the corner of her eyes. His blue eyes piercing through her wall.

“There’s just been a lot of my mind recently,” she started. He raised a brow for her to go on. “Senior year of college, you know?” she coughed, trying to lie through her teeth. He didn’t seem too convinced. He always seemed to know when she lied. But Layton supposed she was never a good liar to begin with, so it probably wasn’t that hard.

“Really? I feel like this started a while back, mid-way through your junior year,” he prodded.

“It’s nothing, really. At least, not anything you need to worry about,” she raised a hand to lightly pat his shoulder but thought against it. She let her hand fall limply to her side. “Just nerves about graduation.” Layton bit her lip and scolded herself once more for being so obvious. She was never good at hiding her emotions and it was painstakingly obvious that Hamish knew that.

“If you ever need to talk with someone,” Hamish started gently. “I will always be available.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. “Anyways, should we each get a tent, or should we share?” She diverted the conversation as soon as they entered the camping aisle. “They’re kind of expensive, no?” Her nose scrunches when she notes the price tags.

“Maybe we should all get one to share,” Hamish agreed, thinking about his crying wallet.

“Yeah, we could get this 4-person one,” she pointed one out, pulling it off the hanger. “Light-weight, fiber glass poles,” she reads off the label.

“It’s kind of short,” Hamish runs his finger over the dimensions.

“Okay, everything’s going to be short to you, you giraffe,” Layton bumped him with her shoulder playfully. In that moment, she tried not to think about her feelings and, instead, remember what it was like when they weren’t in the way. “I’m sure this is nothing short of a hobbit hole to your towering height.”

“So, how do you propose I fit in there?”

“You crawl,” Layton deadpanned before bursting into a fit of giggles. “You crawl! I don’t know why I find that so funny,” she bends over to clutch and clutches her stomach. “I can’t breathe.” Hamish watches in barely contained amusement. It’s been a while since he’s seen her laugh like this, at least around him. He’s seen Layton and Randall hang out around campus before and when she’s with him, her whole face lights up. With Randall, she shows off her brilliant smile. But with himself, she always seems so down. And it wasn’t always like this. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t rack his brain for what went on between them. They used to hang out all the time, and they were close. And it wasn’t as if she just flipped a switch. He saw it happen over time. Her twinkling eyes, a little duller – if she even looked him in the eyes anymore. Her smile was a rarity around him these days. Her easy-going attitude, tense and forced. He just wanted her to open up to him, to let him know what was going on through her head. After Cassie died, she was his rock for some time. They hurt together and they found solace together. It hurt him to know that she was slowly drifting apart from him. What changed? What did he do? It felt like the world ended when Cassie died. Felt like the ground was ripped from underneath him. He could barely stand being at the house. Everything reminded him of her. He only got by because of Randall and Layton. He knew that it worked. He knew that he was recovering. Piece by piece, his heart was becoming whole again, filled by the memories of his friends around him. The house was less lonely. He didn’t cry in the middle of the night anymore. But now, he felt as if it was drifting back. Layton seemed to avoid the house. She seemed to avoid him.

“Hamish?” her voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Earth to Hamish!” His eyes refocused on his surroundings to see her waving her hands in front of his face. She looked extremely worried. “I’ve been calling you for, like, five minutes. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he gave her a gentle pat on the head, still not focused enough to see her flush red. “Just dozed off for a moment.”

“That’s not like you,” Layton coughed as she tried to hide her red ears.

“Apologies,” he moved forward to take the tent from her and put it under the basket of the cart. “Let’s go pay for our things and haul it back to the house.” With her help, they loaded the car after checking out. The ride back was done in comfortable silence, both occupied in their own thoughts. Layton leaned her head against the window to watch the scenery fly by.

* * *

 

“Guys, this is awesome!” Randall cheered as he looked at the supplies we got. He kept picking up random items and examining them before throwing them back into the pile. “This road trip is going to be so cool. First Knight’s road trip!” He pumped a fist before pulling Layton into a one-armed hug. “Minus Lilith. Anyone seen her recently?”

“I saw her at the library, actually,” Layton nodded. Randall slowly let go of her and plopped down on the couch. He let his arm rest on the back and cross his left leg over his right. “We made eye contact and I said ‘Hi’ but that was pretty much it. She was really focused on her text book so I didn’t want to be a bother. Plus, the last time that Randall tried to talk to her while she was studying…” They all gave each other knowing looks.

“That’s good at least,” Hamish nodded. “So, when do we plan to leave by?”

“10AM at the latest. That way, we’ll have enough sunlight to put up our tent and gather some firewood,” Randall said before pulling out his phone. “I’ve checked the route times and everything.”

“Randall being prepared for once, ladies and gentlemen,” Layton giggled. She felt a pillow hit her in the head. “Hey!” She looked up to see Hamish laughing while Randall gave her a smug smile.

“I am officially a RA, thank you very much. It means I’m very prepared,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Sure, let’s see how your first week of school goes, then we’ll talk,” Layton scoffed, lightly tossing the pillow back onto the couch. “Anyways, are we sure about leaving Lilith by herself?”

“I’d rather her come along but it is her decision. It is not all bad though, a protector for the house while the majority of us is away is a good idea,” Hamish shrugged. “She can also keep an eye out for bad magic, though, I doubt there will be much of it.”

“Makes sense,” Layton agreed. “Alright, so we’ll see each other at 10 tomorrow?” Randall and Hamish nodded. This is going to be one hell of a trip.


	3. Hamish the Uber Driver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter in which Hamish tries not to rip out his delicately combed hair.

_My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,_

_And they’re like,_

_It’s better than yours,_

_Damn right,_

_It’s better than yours,_

_I can teach you_

_But I have to charge_

Randall was screaming at the top of his lungs while Layton accompanied him by singing into an empty water bottle. The curly haired student was in the back seat with the bags of snacks buckled in next to him. Layton was sitting shot-gun to a very exhausted Hamish. He had listened to them choose and belt songs for roughly two hours and his enhanced hearing was doing him no favors. He did enjoy that they seemed to have the time of their lives; however, and for that, he hasn’t complained. Well, except this one time. And there was that other one. Okay, Hamish can admit that he complained quite a few times. But it was only because they would skip his choice of classical pieces to opt for more mainstream and upbeat tunes.

“Okay, okay,” Layton tried catching her breath. All the singing and the laughing caused her face to flush red. Hamish thought it was kind of cute. Cute? No, not cute! _Endearing._ No. Just! Charming, how about that? “Maybe we should actually let Hamish listen to his old-people songs for once?” She offered, tossing her head back to peek at Randall. There was a moment of silence before they both screamed, “Nah,” and it was immediately switched to Lady Gaga. Layton whipped her hair as she rocked out to the singer.

“You guys are crazy,” Hamish shook his head. His eyes briefly flickered to his mounted phone that currently displayed their route. He took note of the time left and the next turn before staring back at the long stretch of road ahead of them. They still had a couple hours left before they would arrive at the lake.

“You only say that because you love us,” Layton huffed in between lines of lyrics. “Randall, this is a jam!” She whooped before rolling down the shotgun window. Her previously mussed hair became even crazier as the wind streamed into the car. Her light-brown tresses were pulled from her face and continued tangling with each other. Randall turned up the music from his phone before throwing the device back on the seat beside him.

“Still crazy,” Hamish mumbled under his breath. He watched as Randall dumped a couple Cheetos into his mouth from the rear-view mirror.

“This is awesome!” He exclaimed. “I knew the road trip was a great idea,” he boasted with a huge smile set on his lips. He beamed even brighter when Layton gave her own nod of approval from the front. “Alright, I think it’s time for these puppies to come off,” Randall mumbled to himself before kicking off his sneakers.

“Oh no, put them back on,” Layton groaned when she turned to see what he was doing. “Those stink,” she emphasized his wiggling toes.

“They do not stink. Plus, I am not about to trap my feet again after just tasting freedom! Let them live a little,” he threw his feet up on the center console storage compartment, right between his seniors. He heard a collective cry of disgust.

“Randall,” Layton complained, shoving his feet towards Hamish’s side. “Don’t do this to me!” Hamish made a face and a move to avoid the incoming limbs.

“I’m driving,” Hamish scolded, pushing Randall’s feet towards the center. While the two pushed his feet from side to side, he was dying of laughter in the back.

“Don’t make the Uber driver mad,” Layton pouted, poking Randall’s ankle. He wiggled his toes tauntingly before withdrawing them.

“Fine, fine. But they’re staying off,” he pointed at her.

They continued their antics in the car, all the while slowly driving Hamish insane. The three of them had also stopped briefly at a gas station for a bathroom break and to restock on snacks at one point. Otherwise, it was a fairly smooth drive and they reached their destination in record time. At the camp site, Layton helped the guys pick the perfect spot to set up their tent and helped them unload the car. Randall had left them soon after to find firewood before dusk set. Hamish and Layton were left to figure out how to set up a tent and organize the site.

“Okay, so we have to connect these poles and then stick them into the open flaps for support,” Layton skimmed the instructions quickly. She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear before looking at the pile of parts in front of her. They had opened the package and laid out the parts side by side. Hamish had his hands on his hips and was hovering over her to read the paper as well. “Then we just kind of mush it into shape,” she squinted at the small pictographs.

“Mush it into shape,” Hamish echoed with a grin.

“You know what I mean,” Layton looked towards him, just now realizing how close he was. If he took a half-step forward, her back would be flush against his front. She cleared her throat and quickly looked away. “I don’t think it’ll be that complicated. We just stake it to the ground after.”

“Well, let’s get to it then,” Hamish nodded before shuffling away and moving over to the pile of components. He picked up the set of rods and began connecting them together. Meanwhile, Layton stuffed the instructions in her pocket before following suit. She grabbed the tent and flipped it around a couple times to figure out which side was the top. After establishing the tent right-side up, they worked in tandem to slip the rods into the structural flaps. The tent quickly took shape and was anchored to the ground.

“Good stuff,” Layton smiled as she stood in front of the tent’s zippered entrance. She stared down at it proudly having been the first tent she’s ever set up.

“I’m back,” Randall shouted as he emerged from the woods. He had a couple quartered chunks of wood under his arm. “We got lucky! I found a pile at an old site about twenty yards out.”

“Great job,” Hamish patted him on the shoulder and helped him build a campfire. Layton watched from the side as they joked around. She smiled softly as they laughed and pushed each other around, nearly knocking over their formed pile. It wasn’t often she saw Hamish unwind a little and actually enjoy the moment. He was always fixated on the future of the Knights and his own job. It was a nice change of pace to see him so carefree. His bright ocean blues seemed to shimmer in the afternoon glow and a large smile rested on his lips. She stayed for just a bit longer, hoping to mentally solidify this memory in her head forever before dipping quietly out of the camp site to fix dinner. It didn’t take long for the boys to join her. Besides the snacks, they hadn’t eaten a solid meal since breakfast. Things quickly moved along, and their food was prepared. A steaming pot of chili sat between the three and they happily filled their bellies. Now that it was breaching the dark of night, the hot chili was a warm welcome. After they had finished, the three worked quickly to set up for the evening. Sleeping pads and blankets were set in the tent and unneeded supplies were packed back into the car. The campfire was still burning nicely, and Randall had made sure to upkeep it as the hours wore on. Before long, all they had left to do was enjoy the peace and quiet by the lake. Exhausted from the long drive, Hamish had retired early. The two teased him about his old age but thanked him nonetheless for taking on that responsibility. With the eldest gone, the two decided to lay in the grass and watch the stars.

“They’re beautiful,” Layton mumbled softly. She had her arms behind her head and the rest of her body laid close to Randall’s. He was laying with one arm behind his head and the other on his stomach. Layton could hear his soft breaths as he stared up at the twinkling lights.

“Yeah, it’s nice to take a break from regular life to do this,” he responded just as quietly. He seemed different. A little bit more serious, a little less…Randall. He’s always been the goofball of the group, enjoying the little things in life and constantly smiling. Most of the time, he was joking around and hanging with friends. He never really went crazy, but he did have his moments. Right now, he seemed to be at absolute peace. “Honestly, I wish we could stay here forever. The three of us, and if God would allow it, Lilith,” he snickered at the last bit. Layton smiled at the thought of Lilith joining them in their “scouts” activities.

“She would’ve killed us the moment we got in the car,” Layton whispered. She didn’t want to get any louder and keep Hamish awake. “We’re lucky that Hamish is as patient as he is. Driving us around. Doing what we want. Listening to our music.” Randall hummed in agreement and they fell silent for a few minutes. All they could hear was the sound of crickets, wind-rustled trees, and the water lapping at the lake shore. Layton almost fell asleep laying right there, under the night sky. “We need to do this again before we leave, the three of us.” She saw Randall nod in the corner of her eye.

“For now, let’s head to bed,” he got up slowly, dusted off his pants, and offered the brunette a hand. She gladly took it and they headed towards the tent together. Randall unzipped the opening as quietly as possible and peered inside. Hamish had chosen to middle sleeping pad and had cozied up under a dark gray blanket. “After you,” Randall turned to motion Layton in with his head. He retracted his body to allow her enough space to crawl in.

“Aww,” Layton stifled a giggle when she saw the sight of their leader sleeping peacefully. She took care not to squish Hamish’s legs as she made her way to the right side of the tent. While Randall was struggling to get to the other side of the tent, she had managed to squirm her way under her own blanket. She waited until Randall was settled and whispered a goodnight. He quietly responded before turning on his side, his back towards Hamish. Layton smiled to herself as she bunched the blanket around herself. She mulled over the events of the ending day for a few moments before relaxing into her pillow. From the sugar-filled car ride to the relaxing dinner by the campfire.

“Thanks, Hamish,” she mumbled under her breath, peeking at the sleeping male beside her. She could feel herself reaching out to brush a lock of stray hair out of his face but thought better of it. She retracted her hands under her blanket and sighed before turning to stare at the tent ceiling. And that’s how the night ended, three little wolves falling asleep to the rhythm of each other’s hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if the last two chapters have been a bit slow. I'm trying to establish what kind of relationship Layton has with the rest of the group, minus Lilith, and the intricacies that come with it. I promise that we will get to the show soon! Thank you for bearing with me. I hope to also have the chapters increase in length within the next few chapters. I'm not sure if that will happen, but if it does, I want to apologize in advance if they get posted slower.


	4. The Wolf Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins. Everyone's about to have a very interesting semester.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait. Life got in the way for a while.

“Anxiety?” Randall dropped onto the periwinkle beanbag in the corner of Layton’s dorm room. When he leaned back, his arms brushed against the dark wood trim lining the underside of snow-white walls. The similarly hued ceiling was gently lit up by a few strings of loosely hanging fairy lights. The rest of the room was illuminated by the semi-opened blinds, a warm green candle labeled “Autumn Woods” resting on the bedside table, and a simple desk lamp. Layton sat on the other side of the room, her legs dangling off her neatly made bed.

“No, I think I’m just now realizing,” she paused to tug on the bottom hem of her blue striped bow shorts. “I’m really old,” she let out a breath of a laugh. “And, I’m graduating this year,” she bit her lip before looking directly at her good friend. “Time flies, it really does,” she furrowed her brows for a moment. “And, I feel like I’m just being roped along.”

“Well, you’ll never be as old as Hamish,” Randall offered with a grin. He drums his fingers on the side of his seat before kicking off his shoes. His gray sneakers flew off in a small arc and tumbled to an awkward stop a few feet away from him.

“Yeah,” she scoffed, letting her body fall back onto the rest of her bed. “Because that’s how aging works, pre-med.” Her eyes followed the subtle imperfections of her ceiling.

“Okay, bringing in the degrees now, are we? Hurtful,” Randall gave her a joking look before his eyes flickered over to the stack of papers on her desk. Just seeing how high it was hurt his own soul. He knew Layton had spent many days grueling over each word. “How’s the paper coming along anyways?”

“I want to die. Please, end my actual existence,” she mumbled. Her arms reached over to the head of the bed, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, she managed to grab a round fluffy pillow and squished it, unceremoniously, over her face. “Dr. Larkin is actually requiring me to write another three drafts for the abstract. I mean, they’re short,” she lifted the pillow off her face and set it to her side. “But, come on. The contents of my paper aren’t changing, so there’s only so many variations of a summary I can come up with,” she let out a long sigh. “And he wants it by tonight.”

“Have you started?” Randall got up and shuffled over to her chair. His eyes scanned the first couple pages. Randall attempted to make out more than a couple of paragraphs worth of long words and detailed procedures. Sprinkled throughout the pages are diagrams and graphs, often paired with an extensive legend and a descriptive caption. “I can’t believe your brain hasn’t turned to mush,” he peeked at the back of a page, finding a small picture of different colored test tubes and a couple paragraphs of reagents used and the results.

“Yeah, I don’t know how it hasn’t either. I was thinking I would look into it after dinner,” she pushed herself up with her elbows before scooting off the twin-bed. “My brain only works when I’ve got food in my system. Want to get a smoothie?” Layton scooped her wallet and her keys off her bedside before heading towards the toffee colored door.

“Smoothies? From where?” Confusion momentarily took over Randall’s face as he turned to look at the brunette. He quickly set the report down and followed after her.

“Marco’s,” she smiled as she slips her feet into her sneakers.

“Marco’s sells smoothies? No way,” Randall rolled his eyes. “I know Marco’s menu like the back of my hand.” Randall picked up his strewn shoes and put them back on. The two of them, along with most students in Belgrave, has spent a lot of time at the local bar- the only one within miles of the campus. Its rustic brick aesthetic paired with moody lighting and vibrant LED’s were the second home to many looking to relax with friends, grab a drink, or have a casual group study. The decently priced drinks were also a plus and kept many regulars coming back.

“Well, apparently not,” she ushered him out of her room and locked the door behind them. “Actually, they’re running a special for the next two days, before the semester starts. Something about trying to pick up some health-nuts? Or opening an option for the younger crowd? They probably know that all the underclassmen sneak-in anyways,” she moved her hands in the air as she spoke. As they pushed through the double doors exiting out of the dorms, Layton was nearly floored. She quickly stumbled back as a body almost ran into her.

“I am so sorry,” a female’s voice fretted. Layton quickly regained her balance and looked to see a student with a blonde wavy bob and deep blue eyes. Her dark brows were furrowed in worry. Layton quickly noticed a Belgrave University lanyard hung around her neck holding a dorm key, an orange whistle, and a tour guide ID card. She seemed frazzled in general, but more so after nearly headbutting her.

“It’s fine,” Layton offered a small smile before moving around the student and catching up with Randall, the incident easily forgotten. “Sorry about that,” she quickly fell in step with him. Her companion shook his before throwing his arm around her shoulder. The girl turned to look at the retreating pair for a moment before heading into the dorms at a brisk pace.

“So, tell me about these smoothies.” Randall sent her his signature smirk before leading her away.

* * *

 

No one has ever enjoyed the first day back to school, and if they told you otherwise, they would be a cold hard liar. At least that’s what Layton believed on that fine crisp morning, the day right before the beginning of her senior year. It was freshmen orientation day and although she tried to sleep in, the noise of people moving in kept her awake. She was currently standing in front of a mirror pulling her brown locks into a loose ponytail. A few stray strands remained out of the confines of the hairband to frame her face. She let out a sigh before running a hand down her mint-colored cropped t-shirt, pulling at the hem to straighten it out. She gave herself one last look before picking up her bag and slipping out the door. Numerous students crowded the already-tight hallways, texting, catching up with friends, and moving in. Suitcases and boxes propped open doors and colorful flyers of all kinds littered the floor. Layton gave fleeting smiles to familiar faces and avoided bumping into new ones. Jeanette, a pretty, petite Korean from her last term’s genetics course gave her a quick nod and wave before pulling her boyfriend into her dorm room. She passed by a girl sporting a black floral cardigan, a leopard print suitcase at her heel. With a quick glance, she saw the student’s dark eyes look her up and down before pursing her lips and checking her phone. Layton shook her head and continued forward, squeezing between a pair in their high school Letterman jackets to reach the staircase. She hugged the right railing as she rushed down, her feet making light work of the steps. As she neared the first floor, her enhanced hearing allowed her to pick through the hum of students to find a familiar voice.

“I think I’m supposed to say that.” Her eyes scanned the hallway for a second before focusing on Randall. He had the dorky Belgrave lanyard on and was holding onto a newly acquired freshmen clipboard pack. “Hey,” he gave her a wave when he saw her heading over to him.

“RA duties, fun,” she snickered, stealing the blue clipboard from him. He instinctively reached for it, but she quickly turned her back to him. “A _How-Not-to-Rape_ pamphlet, nice,” she giggled, tapping on the cover of the small booklet. Two students wearing Belgrave school spirit were posing on the cover with their arms crossed and backs against each other. She breezed through a couple pages as she moved away from Randall’s reaching hands. Flipping back to the front, she saw his messy scrawl noting check-in times and roommate change requests on a sticky note. His most recent student was a guy by the name of Jack Morton.

“Hey, I kind of need that,” Randall moved around to block her. He snatched the piece of plastic back and gave her a disapproving look. “I’m working here,” he mimicked the New York accent before scribbling something down. “Don’t you know, I’m a busy man? The man of the hour, actually.”

“Alright, hot shot,” she rolled her eyes. “Anyways, I just wanted to say good morning. I see you’ve got a handle on baby wrangling. I’m heading over to see Hamish. If you need any rescuing from these freshmen, let me know,” she flashed him a small smile before narrowly avoiding two guys lugging a couch on her way out. The fresh morning air greeted her along with the sound of nervous laughter, guided tours, and parents wishing their kids luck. “They’re so cute,” she smiled to herself as she watched a few individuals try and use the sign out front that displayed the campus map. Their heads swiveled this way and that as they attempted to triangulate their own location. She readjusted the bag on her shoulder before heading towards the Knight’s den. The walk wasn’t bad and Layton kind of enjoyed the liveliness on campus. The few months of summer at Belgrave were often quiet with very few sticking around. Most that were here hid away in their dorms and kept to themselves. It was a nice change of pace.

At the door, she let herself in. “Hamish?” She called out. She shut the door behind her quietly and headed over to the living room. The oldest Knight was reclined on the sofa, a worn book in his hands and a strawberry garnished cocktail on the table beside him. He set the cover down on the table next to his drink and swung his legs to the side so that he could sit up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” she grimaced, setting her bag down next to the coffee table.

“No, no, never. You know that,” he ushered her in with a wave of his hand. “You alright?” he scanned her person before analyzing her face. He watched as she slumped down on the armchair and got comfortable.

“Same old, same old. I officially completed my internship on Friday. How about you? Have you prepared your material, yet?” She slipped her shoes off so that she could pull her legs up to sit crisscross.

“Just about,” he nodded in her direction. An awkward silence permeated the room for a minute as Layton tried to find something to say. She hated the frog caught in her throat and she hated the fog in her brain. It was always like this around him.

“I-,” she cleared her throat. “I heard some ringing this morning.”

“It looks like they’re starting back up again. Recruitment,” Hamish frowned. He picked up his mixed drink and drank it whole. “I’m positive we will hear more of it throughout this month. It is like it’s always been, the new users will want to test out their new-found knowledge and they usually are over-the-top with it.” He stood up, fixed his vest and headed to the bar. He began making another cocktail. “The usual?”

“Not right now,” she shook her head. He faltered in his movements before continuing. “I just woke up not too long ago and haven’t had anything to eat. I’m more hungry than anything.”

“Suit yourself,” he nodded before pouring out a glass for himself.

“Actually, do you want me to pick something up for us?” She watched as he easily crossed the room with his longer legs. He lowered himself back onto the couch and replaced the empty glassware with the new. “From Eggstatic?”

“That name’s horrendous,” Hamish groaned. He picked up his book and leaned back against the backing of the sofa.

“Yeah, but I know you love their eggs Benedict,” she countered.

“You know me so well,” he beamed at her. She sat frozen for a moment, his smile taking her breath away. She could hear her own heartbeat picking up speed. “Layton?” She shot up from her seat, nearly stumbling over her shoes and then, subsequently, her bag.

“Uh, sausage and toast?”

“That’d be fine,” Hamish replied, amused. She gave him a stiff nod before making her way out of the den. Hamish contemplated her reaction for a bit before downing his drink again. “That girl.”

The rest of the day was peaceful. Layton returned with a large order of breakfast and the two feasted on eggs and carbs. They both stayed in, enjoying the calm before the storm that was college. Randall visited later at night, drunk, and rambled on about how he got one of the “nasty elitist, shit-crock sheep.” He quickly collapsed on the couch Hamish previously occupied and passed out. Lilith popped her head in once to grab a leather jacket she had left behind. She greeted the occupants with a nod before leaving as fast as she came. Layton browsed the web on her laptop, occasionally watching some recorded seminars after Hamish retired to his room to plan for his recitations. As her device neared the end of its battery life, Layton, too, dozed off, all the while dreading the next day.


End file.
